Freedom Winds
by totheextraordinarykb
Summary: "Descending the steps of the bus and stepping onto the sidewalk, Maura couldn't help a little smile, despite her nervousness. This – she surveyed the crowd, a field of blue and green and yellow – this was adventure." An AU slow-burn Rizzles-in-high-school story. Rated T until later chapters change that.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, the two mottos, or the Neil Gaiman quote. Yes, I wish I did. Longer AN at the bottom.

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**Die Luft der Freiheit Weht (The Winds of Freedom Blow)**

**CHAPTER ONE**

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_"I've been making a list of the things they don't teach you at school. They don't teach you how to love somebody. They don't teach you how to be famous. They don't teach you how to be rich or how to be poor. They don't teach you how to walk away from someone you don't love any longer. They don't teach you how to know what's going on in someone else's mind. They don't teach you what to say to someone who's dying. They don't teach you anything worth knowing."_  
_― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones_

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A disconcertingly loud alarm blared through the impeccably well-organized and mature bedroom. The trinkets that lined the mahogany dresser were expensive and impersonal. A closet door just slightly ajar, it was clear to see that no clothes lay on the floor but were all hung and folded with care. There were no photographs or posters cluttering the walls. The curtains, edged with delicate lace, matched the bed sheets – a brilliant combination of lilac and white that contrasted the blue of the walls. The bed, despite its teenaged occupant, remained almost undisturbed; it was clear that the girl who slept in it never once tossed or turned during the night. An interior designer would have been proud of the tasteful decorations and well-maintained ambiance.

The only true sense of character and individuality the room held came the bookshelves. Build around the windows that lined the wall, they were completely and overwhelmingly filled with books. The owner had clearly ran out of room, and had begun extra rows to house them. Indeed, in some gaps, books were piled in horizontally in order to utilize the extra spaces.

With a smile on her face and dressed in a silk pajama set, the sole occupant of the room, a blonde teenager, rose from the bed, neatly remade it, and proceeded to the bookcases. Trailing her finger over the books, she at last settled on one. "Perfect first day book," she remarked to herself as she placed it into the already packed backpack sitting beside the desk. Throwing open the closet door, she put on the outfit handing on the hook: a navy and dark green skirt with just hints of yellow peeking through the plaid, a blue polo, and, in a slight act of defiance, a beautiful blue cashmere sweater rather than the standard cotton uniform issue. She packed the issued sweater into her bag as well, in case regulations determined that she could not wear her own but, as she slid her hands down the soft weave, she couldn't help but hope that she would not have to change. The outfit was completed by a pair of simple Mary Jane shoes, patent leather.

Studying herself in the mirror, her fingers traced the emblem embroidered on the skirt. Both she and her reflection spoke as she recited the facts she had memorized. "St. Josephine's Prep School, a Jesuit institution founded in 1823. It is a top-ranked institution in the city of Boston, with thirty six varsity sport teams, over a hundred clubs, and twenty five AP courses offered."

Turning sharply, she picked up her backpack and left the room, still speaking. "And it's an adventure!"

She descended the staircase quickly but silently, remembering her etiquette training even in the midst of her excitement, and preceded down the hallway, bypassing the dining room and proceeding into the kitchen itself. She pulled down a box of Cheerios and a bowl, filled it, poured in skim milk, and deftly sliced a banana into the cereal. She ate eagerly, determined not to be late for her first day. Sliding on a light coat and swinging the backpack onto her back, she locked the apartment door behind her and chose to scamper down the four flights of stairs to ground level. Entering the lobby, she gratefully smiled at the doorman Fred as he held the door for her. Walking a block to her bus stop, she pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to her parents to let them know the first day was underway.

When the distinctive yellow of the bus rolled up, she breathed in deeply, steadying her nerves. For the first time, Maura Isles was going to ride a school bus. She was going to ride a school bus to a new school for her senior year of high school. She was going to meet new people, assimilate, and figure out how to make friends. She was going to be normal.

The minute she finished ascending the steps into the bus, Maura knew that wasn't going to happen. The noise was what hit her first. It was 6:50 in the morning. Shouldn't teenagers be silent at this time? But no. Shouts sounded through the bus, music blared from iPhone speakers, and laughter reverberated on the metal sides. Overwhelmed, Maura took an unoccupied bench about seven rows back.

Forcing her mouth closed, she started listening to conversations. "Frankie! What happened to you man? Your mug got so ugly!" "Susanna, I heard you bagged a lifeguard. Still going strong?" "I went to California! I got so tan, it was ridiculous." Following any single thread would have been impossible, so Maura closed her eyes and let the noise just wash over her.

Inside, she calmed her racing nerves, reminding herself why she was currently on this bus, how she had fought her parents for this opportunity. Maura knew she wasn't "normal". At eleven, she entered her first boarding school – a prestigious school she had had to test into, and a place where academically she had excelled. Her teachers went above and beyond to ensure Maura was challenged, assigning her extra reading and projects, allowing her to occasionally teach a class herself.

She had loved her teachers. She loved the boarding school's library. She even had loved the administration, which lifted dorm curfews for her so that she could read in the library well past midnight and had allowed her to take educational trips around the globe, despite the fact she would miss school.

Despite everything she knew, though, she knew nothing about people. She read all the right books. She understood subtle facial cues – had alerted classmates to their mutual crushes, had exposed multiple fights, knew how to express happiness and disappointment and lust. She knew people – but she could never make the knowledge into anything meaningful. Her smarts and her money had helped her form many acquaintances, but no friendships.

With university looming on the horizon, Maura wanted to learn how to have friends. So she had searched for a more "average" high school experience in a city she had always loved – Boston. Her parents had agreed once she explained that the school was still quite rigorous, that her marks were already excellent and that, if anything, she'd have less competition for the top universities coming from this prep school. There were only upsides, and so her parents had purchased a (in Maura's opinion) rather lavish two-story apartment for her use, and promised to visit whenever their schedules allowed.

A ball of paper hit her on the face, startling her into opening her eyes. She hadn't realized how… _clamorous and chaotic _this choice would be.

Mouthing the words silently to herself, she attempted to justify the decision again. "You chose this. You want this. You do."

Looking out the window, she watched as the bus traversed the city of Boston, before pulling out outside a school, her peers already clamoring to get off the bus before the vehicle had come to a full stop.

Descending the steps of the bus and stepping onto the sidewalk, she couldn't help a little smile, even amid her nervousness.

This – she surveyed the crowd, a field of blue and green and yellow – this was adventure.

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_"The mission of Saint Josephine's Prep as a Catholic, Jesuit, urban, college preparatory school is to develop the minds, hearts, souls, and characters of young individuals in their pursuit of becoming men and women for and with others."  
_

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Author's Note: To cover my bases - St. Josephine's motto is the motto of St. Joseph's Prep (in Philadelphia), modified slightly to be coed. The title of the piece is the unofficial motto of Stanford University, and captures the spirit of the piece well. That's theoretically the name of the piece, but since that's a little weird, I've decided to call the story "Freedom Winds".

This story was born out of a desire to 1) write a high school AU where Jane /isn't/ an idiot (she'll show up in chapter 2 if there's any interest in this thing) and 2) because I had this really specific vision of how Jane and Maura would have interacted in high school, particularly when they first met, and I wanted to write it.

I have another high school AU one shot "I'll Be Your Friend", and people asked me to continue it, but I felt like I wasn't a fan of that meeting as a first meeting for a longer story. It was conceived as a one shot, and it's going to stay that way. If you want my version of high school Jane/Maura, read this.

I hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you actually want to read any more of this. If you're following any of my other in-progress story, they're still going! I just wanted to see what the reception on this would be. :) Review, prettyyyyy please?! 3 3


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I know this is a shocker, but I don't own Rizzoli & Isles. Go figure.

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**Die Luft der Freiheit Weht (The Winds of Freedom Blow)**

**CHAPTER TWO**

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With force, the lanky brunette slammed the pillow over her head and wished for the bliss of sleep to return. The clamor of the early morning routine from her family and the blaring of the alarm clock ensured that no such thing would happen. Groaning, she tried to swat the clock she kept on her bedside table to get the horrible sound to stop. When her hand hit the wood of the table rather than the appliance, she sat up in bed and blinked weary eyed, realizing the clock had been moved to the other side of the room. "Ma," she groaned, recognizing her mother's trademark move. Despite the loud sound filling the room, Jane contemplated just lounging in her bed forever, before she heard a shout from below. "JANIE GET UP AND TURN THAT THING OFF THIS INSTANT."

Sighing, she grabbed the pink, frilly decorative pillow her mother had insisted on buying from next to her on the bed. Squinting, she took aim and threw it across the room. It knocked the alarm clock off of the table, pulling the cord out of the wall and silencing the alarm. She smiled smugly. A moment of peace, and she didn't even need to get out of bed for it.

Loud steps sounded on the hardwood floor outside her room, before she heard a timid knock. Clearly not Tommy then. "What is it, Frankie?"

Almost apologetically, he peeked in. "Ma said to tell you she knows you didn't get out of bed. And that the alarm clock better not be broken because then you're buying the next one."

Jane sighed, running her hands over her face. "Alright, you relayed your message. I'm getting up." She made a show of stomping her feet for the first few steps, knowing the ceiling would shake in the kitchen where her mother was.

After using the bathroom, she threw open her dresser drawer, grabbing the first item in each pile: skirt, polo, sweater. Given the polos and sweaters could only be three different colors, all of which matched, Jane really could care less what the specific colors were. She'd be fine. Against school regulations, she pulled on her standard spandex beneath the skirt. After accidentally flashing a guy on the second day of school her freshman year, she determinedly broke regulation every day after that.

From a drawer below, she pulled out a random t-shirt and pair of shorts for practice, retrieving socks from a pile on the floor. Pulling together her field hockey gear, she glanced at her watch. "Shit," she swore; she only had seven minutes to the bus, and her backpack wasn't packed yet. She glanced at the school list that rested on a shelf of the bookcase, where trophies were interspersed with books, before deciding against the rush. It was the first day. None of her classes were really going to care if she didn't have her books.

Shoving a notebook, two pens, her summer homework for AP English and AP US History and her wallet into her backpack, she took the steps two at a time. By the time she walked into the kitchen, her backpack was firmly on her back, her gear bag for field hockey slung across her body. Leaning forward, she kissed her mother as she grabbed a piece of toast from the stack. Shouts of "be good this year" and "make us proud" were acknowledged with nods, as Jane shouted up the steps. "FRANKIE! TOMMY! Bus, now! I'm leaving in five… four… three…" The boys threw themselves down the stairs, grabbing toast and kissing their mother goodbye, before rushing out the door in front of Jane. She smiled to herself. They were idiots, her younger brothers, but adorable idiots.

Frankie and Tommy led the way down the street, and Jane followed, carefully inspecting them. Frankie was dressed in a St. Josephine's uniform as well, khakis and a yellow polo with a blue sweater over, prepared for his first day of freshman year, and Tommy had khakis with a black shirt and red sweater, the uniform of East Boston Catholic School, starting his eighth grade and thus last year there.

As the group reached the corner where the buses would arrive, Tommy grew quiet, a sure sign he was upset. Jane slugged him on the shoulder. "Hey little brother, what's the face for?" He just shrugged, and Jane took a shot in the dark. "Upset that Frankie's not going to the same school as you anymore?"

Frankie spoke up. "But you'll be with me next year! Jane will be all ancient and gone by then."

Jane glared, before Tommy spoke up in a timid voice. "I won't get into St. Joe's though."

Frankie and Jane exchanged looks. To be honest, they were a little worried about that as well. St. Josephine's had a program designed to give high achieving students in Catholic schools around Boston the opportunity to excel in a prep school environment. A test was administered in eighth grade to all the Boston Catholic school children, and the top five scorers were awarded a four-year scholarship to St. Joe's. Jane had come in top of her class her year. Nobody was sure of how Frankie would do, but Jane helped him study and as always, he followed in Jane's footsteps, scoring fourth best in the city and earning a spot of his own. Neither knew whether Tommy could achieve the same results, as he hadn't shown the same dedication in school as his siblings – and they knew that the tuition of St. Josephine's was too much for their parents to pay on their own.

Jane reassured her brother, a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. If you want to get in, we'll help you study. I remember my test, and I should hope – given it was not even a year ago – this idiot," she pointed at Frankie, "remembers his." Frankie's "Hey!" of protest was ignored as Jane continued. "Nobody else has that advantage. If you want to get in, we'll work on it. Okay?" Tommy looked to his brother, who nodded at him, before looking at Jane and nodding as well. "Meanwhile, remember, you get to be top of the pack at EBCS this year!"

Frankie smiled, "The glory days. You guys won't top our exit prank."

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

The argument continued for a few more volleys before Jane cut in. "Enough! This is stupid." She paused. "Because we all know my year's was the best."

A lively debate began, before Tommy's bus arrived. "Give them hell!" Jane called after him, before leaning back against the pole of the street sign, staring down the street for their bus. She checked her phone. "Goddamn bus is always late," she muttered. "First day of school and Billy can't even get here on time." Frankie smiled. "What are you smiling at?"

"I never knew the bus was always late." He smiled. "Now I do." Jane shook her head at him. Sometimes the depth of Frankie's emotions impressed her – he possessed a sensitivity that she did not harbor. His voice cut into her thoughts. "Is that our bus?" he said as he pointed down the street.

"Yes!" Jane grabbed her gear bag. "Let's do this. Senior year. Fuck yes." Frankie chuckled. "Laugh all you want, bro, but I'm gonna torture you this year. I'm a senior. You're a little widdle froshie. It's kind of my job."

When the bus finally stopped and the doors open, she took the steps two at a time, clapping the bus driver on the back good-naturedly. "Billy! Nice of you to finally show up!"

The man chuckled and yelled at her retreating figure. "Shut up Rizzoli and sit your ass down!" When he saw Frankie ascending the stairs, he pretended to clutch his heart. "Dear god there's another one?!"

Jane shouted forward. "That's Frankie, my kid brother. He's nicer than me." Frankie nodded solemnly at the bus driver. "But you've got four years with him!"

"God help us," Billy said, as he shut the doors and pulled away from the curb.

Jane progressed to the back, swaying with the movement of the bus, exchanging greetings with people as she went. The final row – her row – was empty as always, and she swung in, dropping her gear bag on the floor and swinging her legs up and onto the seat as she lounged against the window, closing her eyes for a brief moment and soaking up the early morning sun. Diana peered over the seat, noticed Jane's closed eyes, and smiled – before flicking her friend's ear sharply. Jane shot up like a rocket. "OW! Jesus fuck, that hurt!" Diana shrugged. "You could, you know, say hi like a normal person one of these days."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Hey, Di." She shut her eyes, and then peeked one open when she realized her friend was still staring. "What?"

"Summer? Classes? Sports? Romance? Gonna give me any updates at all?"

"I saw you two days ago! And we talked for three hours. My life has been really exciting since then. I'm still taking the same classes, I'm still doing field hockey, and – oh yeah, I met someone and fell in love in two days. Because that's so me." Jane sighed. "Life's the same, Di. I'm not keeping anything from you. I just don't have anything to share."

From the outside, Jane realized her friendship with Di made no sense. The girl was bubbly and optimistic, eager to share feelings and experiences. A star athlete – a forward for the varsity soccer team – Diana had figured out how to channel her girly side as well. She straightened her hair and wore makeup, and on the weekends, she could be found in a dress. Jane, on the other hand – she was outgoing, but in a sarcastic 'one of the gang' type of way – trading cracks rather than stories, punching rather than flirting coyly. She didn't understand the value of spending precious minutes that could be spent sleeping getting 'pretty' when she was just going to sweat it away in practice.

Despite their differences, though, they understood each other. They valued family and loyalty above all else. They helped each other with academics, stood up for one another, and were one half of a kickass relay team come indoor track season – nobody could compete with the speed of a Di/Jane baton transfer. They weren't best friends; Jane never understood the concept, treating all her friends with the same steadfast loyalty and devotion, and Diana's childhood best friend, who had since moved to New York, still held the title. But they were close, which is why when Diana shoved Jane's legs off of the seat so that she could slide in next to Jane, Jane didn't bitch her out and instead pulled her gear bag under her legs to give Diana more room.

Her friend spoke. "Okay, FINE. Nothing's new. Whatever. Wanna ask me if I have news then?"

Jane smiled and raised her eyebrow, realizing what Diana was getting at. "So, who's the guy?"

"I hate how you do that. But… it's Mark."

"Tell me it's not the Mark I'm thinking of."

Diana had the good sense to look a little ashamed. "So what if it is?"

"WHAT? You're dating that jerk!? You know what he keeps in his locker, right? And that he's not smart enough for you?" Mark, a lackluster student, was a fan of 'liquid courage', as he so poetically called the bottle of vodka he stashed in his locker. Last year, Jane broke into his locker just so she could smash the bottle on the sidewalk outside. Mark had tried to punch her over it, but she had blocked the blow, twisted his hand behind his back, and growled into his ear that one day, he'd be grateful for her actions, before walking away.

She realized Diana had been speaking. "I know you don't like him, but he's really changed! He's not drinking anymore. And he's smarter than we thought, it's just the teachers just have it out for him. Come on, Jane." She grabbed her friend's arm. "I like him. I need you to be okay with this."

Jane looked at Di's earnest face, and sighed. "Alright." In her head, she began to plan the perfect way to threaten Mark with bodily harm if he ever hurt Diana. "Alright, I'll try to be nice. I guess."

Diana smiled, before pulling Jane to her feet. "Cheer up! We're seniors, and we're here."

Despite her annoyance at her friend's news, Jane couldn't help but smile as she walked down the aisle of the bus, winking at Billy as she disembarked and stepped out in front of St. Josephine's. Following Diana as she weaved through the crowd, her grin didn't fade.

The first day of school excitement was infectious.

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_Author's Note:_ I was overwhelmed, touched and excited by the number of reviews and follows I got on this story (and no negative ones!). As my own little expression of gratitude, I put aside cover letters for a bit and wrote this chapter instead. :) To the Guest reviewer who said they didn't know of any other high school AUs, I wish I could claim to be the first. I'm definitely not. If you PM me or review off of Guest, I'd be happy to send you some of my favorite ones to check out.

I realized that I had a couple more things I wanted to say about this story too: 1) I know Jane grew up in Revere, which is a suburb, but I wanted her to grow up in the city proper. Revere is closest to East Boston, which is also where some Italian American families live if they're not in the (more expensive now) North End, so hence East Boston for her. 2) This has modern day technology like computers and phones, despite the fact that in 1993-1994 they wouldn't have had them. The fact is I like being able to send texts in my stories and use Wikipedia, okay? (It's also what I know, so I'm just trying to write what I know.) 3) Has anyone managed to figure out the age differences between the siblings in the Rizzoli family? Or, for that matter, between Maura and Jane? I tried to do a search on it and nothing came up, so I just kind of selected my own ages. Whoops.

YAY review please if it strikes your fancy! Thank you again. I won't always update this quickly, but I just had to as a thank you. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Die Luft der Freiheit Weht (The Winds of Freedom Blow)**

**CHAPTER THREE**

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From the minute the brunette arrived to AP US History class late, out of breath, and smiled ruefully at the teacher, Maura did not like her.

She did not like the way that Mrs. Smith waved her hand at the offered excuse ("The bus from East Boston… you know how it is") and said kindly, "Sit, Jane, please." She did not like the smile she imagines was laced with smugness at getting away with this disrespect to the process of learning. _Knowledge is sacred_, she wanted to shout at the tall girl, _and you've just stolen time from all of us!_

She did not like the fact that the brunette chose the desk behind her, even though Maura knew it was the only open one, and that she could hear the scratch of the metal against the tiled floor as the girl leaned back, lounging. _Lounging! In class!_

She did not understand why the brunette was placed in this class. AP stands for advanced placement, she thought. It should only have the most committed academic minds in it.

She did not like when Jane tapped her on the shoulder as Mrs. Smith wrote a sentence on the board, offering her hand, with a whispered, "Jane Rizzoli." Frowning, she did not offer her own name, but instead whispered back, "I'm LEARNING. Pay attention."

She did not like that the girls looked to Jane continually for a smile, for a mouthed comment, and she did not like that the boys worshipped her, eyes glazed.

No, Maura Isles did not like Jane Rizzoli.

When the class ended, and the bell was still ringing, Maura rushed from the classroom, but still heard the husky voice behind her. "Well, that was a little strange." Pulling out her schedule, she reassured herself of its difficulty, running down the classes on it: AP US History, AP English, AP Biology, AP French, AP Psychology, and AP Calculus BC. It was a fluke that girl had been in her history class. Surely someone with that amount of disrespect for knowledge wouldn't be in her other courses.

Within two minutes, she found her English classroom and slid into the seat with a nod to her teacher, Mr. McGeary, who seemed startled that someone had arrived three minutes early to class. A minute to the start time, students started filtering in, and Maura found herself checking to make sure Jane Rizzoli was not one of them. Just as the bell rang, a girl flew into the classroom and stared at the seats for a moment, before reluctantly walking to the front and sitting by Maura. Maura relaxed at the sight of the occupied desks. Clearly it was a fluke that Jane had been in her AP US History class. She would just have to live with her there.

Mr. McGeary introduced himself to the class, before arranging them into pairs so that they could "learn about each other". Maura turned to the girl beside her – a pretty girl who stuck out her hand with a grin and said, "Well, I guess we'll be the only ones really doing this exercise. Hi, I'm Diana, but everyone calls me Di."

Maura smiled back. "Hi, I'm Maura Isles. If you don't mind – what do you mean we'll be the only ones doing the assignment?" She looked around the room at the chatting pairs. "Isn't everyone partaking now?"

Di shook her head. "You're the only new one. The rest of us have had to stare at the same ugly 200 mugs for the last three years."

"Mugs?"

Di cocked her head. "You know… faces?" She paused. "I guess it comes from mugshots? But like, yeah, faces are mugs."

"Oh. Well, I apologize for making you do the assignment. I noticed you were not thrilled about having to sit with me."

Di smiled. "Wasn't you. It was the first row. I make it a rule to try and avoid the first row." She looks back. "Yeah, it'll be good, I'll snag us two seats over there next time."

Maura frowned. "But the students in the first row are higher achieving students! That correlation is well established, even as far back at 1978 with Hurt and Preiss' study of middle schoolers. Causation studies are still being conducted, with mixed degrees of validity, but studies of ESL students indicate that it is reasonable to safely conclude a closer seat will improve academic performance at least marginally." She realized that Diana was staring at her open mouthed. "I'm sorry. You weren't asking. I tend to ramble sometimes."

Mr. McGeary called the group together before Diana could respond, and Maura panicked when she was called on first. She was supposed to have a fun fact about Diana, but she didn't know anything. Stammering, she spoke. "Well, uh, this is Diana. She likes to be called Di, and…" she cast around for something else to say. "She believes the colloquial term 'mug' for 'face' is derived from 'mugshot'."

The rest of the class just waited for a moment, silently, before looking to Di to speak. "Hey guys. So this is Maura Isles, and she's new, which is awesome and special, because I needed a new face. You all are getting boring." A few of the classmates smiled good naturedly at the comment. "A cool fact about Ms. Isles over here? She knows literally everything, quoted studies at me. I claim her for all future assignments."

Maura colored at the statement, not sure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. Mr. McGeary smiled at her kindly. "That skill will certainly come in handy. Now, Brian, introduce us to Laura, please."

As Brian spoke, Di tapped on Maura's desk to get her attention. "Hey. You know that was a compliment right?" Maura nodded, inwardly relieved that Diana clarified. "Good. Because it's wicked impressive. Now, let's learn ALL about Sarah from Luke. Five bucks he says she has a fine ass at some point."

The sandy haired boy spoke. "So, this is Sarah. She's exactly five foot six. She likes to play the piano. And she's got a fine caboose."

"HA!" Diana exclaimed, slamming her hand on the desk and causing half the class to jump. She pointed at Maura. "I told you." She called out, "Perv!" and Sarah shoved Luke in retaliation.

Maura looked to the teacher, stunned by this horseplay and his inaction. He rolled his eyes once before raising his voice. "Hey! That's enough. Luke, be respectful of your classmates. Sarah, stop shoving him. Diana, just…" he faltered on what exactly to yell at her for. "Just shut up, Di." Diana gave him a thumbs up and a wink and he just shook his head, but the corners of his mouth turned up in suppressed amusement. "Alright! Back on track. Next group, please."

_This is not a school_, Maura thought to herself. _Or maybe it is, and I just never realized this is what school is_. She was not sure she cared that she missed out – maybe this wasn't the right choice. As the class erupted in laughter as Jeffrey recounted in detail a story about Mike from the summer, she frowned. This was crass. At her old school, such foolishness was only rarely seen, and only seen in the dining halls and dorms. She was learning nothing: not academically, and not socially. Why was she here?

When they began discussing their summer reading though, she found herself impressed by the intellect in the classroom. Between the sarcasm, her peers had valuable contributions to offer. She wondered why they did not express themselves in such a manner on a more regular basis, and found herself designing a potential case study in her mind. Refocusing, she committed herself to the discussion, and was smiling with the new knowledge she obtained as the bell rang.

As she and Diana proceeded to the front of the room, Diana asked her what her next class was. "AP Biology."

"Me too! Alright, we need to book it, because that classroom is so far away. But I've a friend in the class, so we'll all sit together. And don't worry, Miss Front-Row, we'll compromise – how does the second row suit you?"

"I'll try it," Maura said. "I should try it once at least!"

"In the spirit of experimenting, right?"

"Well, technically it would be a case study, because it's not rigorous enough for an experiment, but –" she paused, then sighed. "You were using the colloquial definition for experimenting."

Diana nodded, but not rudely. "It's okay. It's kind of cool to see how fast your mind works." They entered the room and snagged an empty lab table for three people. "Jane's gonna love playing with it."

"Jane?" Maura asked.

"Yeah, Jane Rizzoli. Did you meet her already? That's my friend who's gonna meet us."

"Oh no," Maura exhaled. "I think I need to move seats."

Maura scrambled to get her items together as a voice – that husky voice she immediately recognized – spoke from behind her. "Don't move on my account." Maura froze, before turning slowly, staring up at the brunette that towered above her chair.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ This chapter was one of the reasons I wanted to write this story. I love this idea that Jane is a really smart individual but she just doesn't need to try so hard to show it. (By your senior year, think about it - you knew who was smart and who wasn't. Nobody needed to prove it anymore.) And that Maura, who's only ever had learning and knowledge, holds that sacred above everything else. I love the idea that those priorities would clash in the beginning of their relationship, that Maura just wouldn't be able to understand this girl.

I'm keeping the chapters a little shorter to help me be able to update more frequently. Let me know if you'd prefer longer chapters with more time between updates instead. Also, I know a lot of writers in this fandom update on a schedule - is that something you would like?

As always, I remain humbled by the reception this story has received. THANK YOU. Thank you for reading, for following, for reading my other stories, for reviewing, for favoriting. You are all incredible people. :) As always reviews are very appreciated, of course.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Inexcusably long time between updates. My only defense is I got really sick, and then there was Thanksgiving, and now there's Christmas and SNOWWWWWWW. But a huge shout out to the people who wrote saying, "So... where are you?" and making me feel so loved I had to get this next chapter up.

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**Die Luft der Freiheit Weht (The Winds of Freedom Blow)**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

_Diana nodded, but not rudely. "It's okay. It's kind of cool to see how fast your mind works." They entered the room and snagged an empty lab table for three people. "Jane's gonna love playing with it."_

_"Jane?" Maura asked._

_"Yeah, Jane Rizzoli. Did you meet her already? That's my friend who's gonna meet us."_

_"Oh no," Maura exhaled. "I think I need to move seats."_

_Maura scrambled to get her items together as a voice – that husky voice she immediately recognized – spoke from behind her. "Don't move on my account." Maura froze, before turning slowly, staring up at the brunette that towered above her chair._

* * *

Jane's face was completely unreadable. This startled Maura as she tried to filter through her knowledge of psychology textbooks, blushing red as the brunette continued to examine her. She tried to calculate the social protocol, but before she could come to a conclusion, the brunette acted – _of course,_ Maura thought, _she always acts first. Rash._ "Let's try this again. Hi. I'm Jane Rizzoli." With her hand extended, she prompted Maura. "And you are?"

Maura gripped her hand, shaking it twice before releasing. "Maura Isles."

Diana frowned at the strange interaction, before speaking. "Alright, you two. AP bio. Let's do this." Jane laughed lightly, sliding into the seat next to Diana, so Maura has to look around Diana to see Jane's face. Diana beckoned them closer, creating a huddle. She and Jane automatically put their hands in, but Maura's hands stayed folded in her lap.

Diana nudged her hand. "Put it in." Maura's face reflected confusion, so Jane explained further. "It's a huddle. You know, like, "Go team"?" At Maura's blank look, she backed it up a step. "Okay. This is how this goes. You put your hand in, then there's a pep talk, and a team exclamation. Then you're ready!"

"But that logic is faulty! There's no proof that -"

Jane cut in before the blonde can really get going. "It's not about logic, it's about camaraderie."

Maura still did not understand, but realized this was an invitation to join a team, something she has never experienced before, so she relented. Her hand rested on top of Diana's, who resumed her speech. "We all know Mr. V is slightly insane, but fair and smart, and we'll have fun with him. Here's to a year of As! On three, we'll cheer for..." She searched for something good.

Jane chimed in. "Mitosis?"

Diana countered with, "Kingdoms?"

"Membranes!"

"Nah. Electron transport chain?"

Maura interjected, starting to get a sense of the game. "Photosynthesis?"

Jane smiled. "Yep. I second it."

"Alright. On three, photosynthesis. One, two, three." As their hands rose and two shouts and one whisper of "photosynthesis" reverberated through the classroom, the bell rang and Mr. V entered.

"And on that note - thank you Jane and Di - welcome to AP Bio where you will learn about photosynthesis," he paused for dramatics, "And much more! But first, let's make sure you're all in the right place."

"Right, because someone totally 'accidentally' decided to wander into AP bio." Jane whispered.

"I heard that." Mr. V stated as he looked down at the list in his hands. "Anderson, James?" A brown haired boy in the front row raised his hand. "Brown, Jessica?" As Maura turned to locate the girl, attempting to memorize names, a balled up piece of paper hit her face before falling on the desk. Diana snapped it up and flattened it, rolling her eyes as she read the text – _You're looking fine, Roly Poly_ – before offering it to Jane. The brunette's face contorted into a scowl, before she casually leaned back in her chair, placing her hand behind her head to hide it from Mr. V and extending her middle finger. Maura whipped around to see the recipient, and noticed a boy who can only be described as leering at Jane.

Maura turned her attention back to Mr. V just in time as he read, "Isles, Maura?" She raised her hand and stated "present". Unfamiliar eyes bore into her skin, clearly evaluating her. She colored but sat straight and still, hoping that despite her presence at the same table as Jane Rizzoli they do not assume they are cut from the same cloth. She'd never be so... casual with vulgarity. She'd never interrupt a teacher, never give someone the finger.

Unnoticed by Maura, who was writing attentively on the syllabus Mr. V had provided, Jane glared around the classroom until everyone stopped ogling the newcomer.

When the teacher reached "Rizzoli, Jane", he just rolled his eyes and read the next name without looking up for her hand. Jane smiled lightly, exchanging a glance with Diana. Maura couldn't place whether that grin was proud or… just maybe… a little bashful? It didn't fit with her version of Jane for it to be bashful. But the corners were just slightly turned up, in a sort of naturally shy way.

It didn't make sense. Jane was loud and boastful, so why would she be so graceful and bashful about this?

She frowned at her paper, realizing that she missed Mr. V's explanation of his grading policy. Geez. Two classes, and Jane was already distracting her. This was not okay. She resolved to put the brunette out of her mind. She was in a classroom, and she was there to learn, not puzzle over one of her classmates. And learn she did, despite the fact she had to force herself not to look at Jane, even when her eyes wanted to drift over to her.

When the bell rang, Maura sighed, gathering her stuff. It had been exhausting to block out the world and just concentrate on Mr. V.

"So, what's on your schedule for the rest of the day, Maura?" Diana asked.

Maura recited the schedule, now memorized, "I have AP French, followed by AP Psychology and AP Calculus BC." Diana grinned. "Why?" The girl just turned and looked at Jane, who had a horrified look on her face. Diana doubled over with laughter.

"Uh, Maura?" Jane tentatively spoke. "I hate to break it to you… but you've another two classes with me – psych and math."

Maura sighed, turning away to grab her backpack. "Well, then, Jane Rizzoli – I suppose I'll be seeing you in an hour. Diana, it was lovely to meet you, and I suppose I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Diana smiled. "Yes! Second row for both classes. Okay?"

Maura shook her head lightly, but agreed, before leaving – well, if she was being honest, she fled. Dodging through the crowded hallways, she tried to figure out how this had happened. She was in all advanced placement classes for a reason – so that she would surround herself with the brightest, most devoted minds out there. Not, she searched for an appropriate word – hooligans.

Not hooligans like Jane Rizzoli, who flipped people off and spoke when teachers spoke and made horseplay of biological terms. Who made everyone smile, and everyone love her, even the teachers who ought to have reprimanded her!

She came to St. Joe's to learn. In the back of her mind, a nagging thought repeated itself – _you came to St. Joe's to learn how to interact with people, like Jane Rizzoli clearly can do_ – but she pushed it away.

Her AP French class passed in a whirlwind of praise and the occasional dirty look. Maura was the only fluent speaker in the class, and the teacher was not shy about lavishing this classy student with praise. The students, likewise, weren't shy about disliking this new star pupil. When the bell rang, Maura was torn between sensations of immense gratitude that she no longer had to face those angry faces, and annoyance that she had to leave the one class where she had felt comfortable about her place, felt that she had truly excelled for once this day.

Entering the psychology room, she searched for an empty desk, selecting one in the first row, dead center. She was certain there was no way Jane Rizzoli would sit next to her if it involved the first row. Maura was right.

Jane sat in the desk immediately behind her.

Other than a cordial smile, Maura refused to engage. She wouldn't turn around when she heard Jane talking to John, and she refused to succumb to her curiosity about what type of smile Jane was wearing then.

She did not turn around once during attendance, unwilling to give Jane the satisfaction.

Despite the fact that her skin was crawling with the imagined force of Jane's gaze, she would not allow her body to betray its own self-consciousness.

When the brunette answered two of Ms. Miller's questions correctly – including one that Maura herself did not know the answer to – Maura refused to be surprised, instead determining that the brunette must have looked up the answers in the textbook, or searched them on her phone, or somehow knew in advance the questions that were going to be asked. There were a million reasons why Jane could have gotten a question right that Maura got wrong, and she was not prepared to determine yet that it was intellect alone.

When the bell rang, a hand tapped Maura's shoulder. She turned, looking at Jane. "Yes?" she asked politely.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "You have math now, right? It's three classrooms down."

"Thank you for letting me know! I think I will run to the restroom and freshen up, since I have time. That's just a little further down the hall, right?" Jane nodded. "Thanks. I'll see you in class!"

Exiting the room, Maura missed how Jane's eyes narrowed at her retreating form.

* * *

AN: So I'm kind of excited for the next chapter, which I've written about four times in my head already, and it amuses me every time. (It'll be slightly more Jane's POV, and expect a little bit of confrontation.) I hope this story still interests you. Excuse the fact that this was a bit of a filler chapter - I really wanted to 1) ground the world and 2) establish the relationship between these two characters as it stands.

Also Diana is, like, four of my friends rolled into one bubbly, quirky, sarcastic being, so I was glad to hear that some of you really enjoyed her - because I REALLY love getting to write her.

And I PROMISE, I won't leave the update for so long again. :)

(Edited to fix a couple of mistakes people were really nice about pointing out - thank you so much, guys!)


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